The Supreme Court on Tuesday will give its verdict on two petitions challenging the government’s decision to send Central Bureau of Investigation Director Alok Verma on leave in October. The petitions were filed by Verma and NGO Common Cause. The verdict will be delivered by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph.
On October 23, the Centre had relieved both Verma and his deputy, Rakesh Asthana, of their duties after they traded charges of corruption and interference in several cases. They had later moved the Supreme Court against the action.
Verma’s two-year term as CBI chief ends on January 31.
On December 6, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had reserved the judgement.
The tussle in the CBI came to light on October 15 after the agency named Asthana in a First Information Report for allegedly accepting a Rs 2-crore bribe to scuttle an investigation against businessman Moin Qureshi, who is accused in multiple corruption cases. Asthana, in turn, accused Verma of trying to falsely implicate him and levelled corruption charges against him.
During the hearings in the Supreme Court, the Centre had said it was “absolutely essential” for it to step in and relieve Verma of his powers and duties to save the public image of the institution. However, Verma’s counsel had told the court that the CBI director cannot be transferred without the approval of the selection committee that had appointed him.
Rakesh Asthana had in December also moved the court against a First Information Report against him in a bribery case.
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